Google Play Store Surpasses iTunes In App Downloads For First Time in Q2 2013

According to a report from AppAnnie, the Google Play Store surpassed Apple’s iTunes in quarterly app downloads for Q2 2013, although iTunes outnumbered the Google Play Store in terms of app revenue. This marks the first time that the Google Play Store has beat iTunes in app downloads.

Google Play’s strong performance is due in part to strong performances in India and Brazil, as well as other emerging markets where Android usage is rapidly growing. Strong performance in Brazil was due largely to game downloads, joining Russia and India as the top emerging markets where Google Play Store downloads are thriving. Japan, South Korea and the United States continued to drive Google Play Store revenue, accounting for about 70% of revenue in Q2 2013.

With the release of affordable entry-level Android handsets by companies such as HTC, LG and Samsung in emerging markets, Google is sure to see more growth in the app download category. There’s no doubt that a huge monetization gap exists between the two app stores, and only time will tell ig the Google Play Store will eventually overtake iTunes in terms of app revenue.

Check out the full report at AppAnnie for more interesting graphs and information.

Congrats to Google and to everyone in the Android ecosystem that made this happen, especially developers. Glad their efforts and investment of faith are paying off. And mobile ad networks like Airpush deserve props too, they’ve been a huge financial incentive for devs to concentrate more on Android.